The Wingwoman
by xo.Kyorii
Summary: In which Sora asks for Kairi's help to get another girl. - S x K
1. Phase 01: The Scout

**DISCLAIMER:** The following story if a work of fan fiction. The author does not own the following: _Fifth Business_ by Robertson Davies, Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy, or any other Squenix game of the sort. Other names, places, and incidents are the product of the author's imagination, and any resemblance to actual events, other stories, locale, or persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

* * *

 **THE WINGWOMAN**

* * *

 **Wingman** [wing-man]  
 _noun._

A role that a male friend may assume when another friend is in dire need of help when attracting a potential partner.

 **Wingwoman** [wing-wo-man]  
 _noun_.

A role that a female friend may assume when another friend is in dire need of help when attracting a potential partner.

Plus drama.

* * *

It doesn't bother her in the least bit.

She and Sora had been best friends since, what, birth almost? They grew up not knowing what life would be like without the other, and judging by the amount of information they knew about each other, they might as well have grown up in the same womb. Sora knew her bra size, and she knew the approximate amount of time it took for him to take a proper dump.

So _why_ was Kairi slightly bothered by the fact that her best friend wanted to take Naminé Sato (Naminé _freaking_ Sato) to prom instead of her?

If she were being wholeheartedly honest, she would've thought that Sora's cousin Roxas had a thing for her, but she figured that the Naminé attraction ran in the family.

Kairi nearly scoffs. What did she have that she didn't? A cute face? Kairi shakes her head. She'd been told quite a few times that they looked alike despite the fact that they weren't even remotely related.

Perhaps it was her innocent, doe-like eyes? W-well, Kairi liked to think that her eyes had a little something something. They were enigmatic, energetic, adventurous, and what man wouldn't want an adventurous side to his woman?

Kairi's hands immediately fly to her breasts. Nope. She was pretty much set in that department. Truth be told, Naminé didn't have much of an ass, either, so it wasn't that. Perhaps, then, that it had nothing to do with her physical attributes, but with what she had inside.

Naminé had unquestionable artistic talent, but Kairi's known Sora for fourteen years and counting. Not once did he ever show even the slightest hint of interest towards the theories behind visual arts. As far as he's concerned, his favourite photographer is Peter Parker and the only Michelangelo he knows is the Ninja Turtle.

Naminé is a consistent honour student, but then again, so is Kairi. She may not be in the top ten like little Miss Perfect, but she manages to crack the top twenty-five every year—and she doesn't mean to brag, but on top of her more-than-adequate grades, she's also the captain of the female volleyball and swim team. If she were to write a resume highlighting all of her qualifications to be Sora's ideal prom date, she _should_ have the job in a heartbeat.

So _why_ Naminé Sato?

 _Why_?

Kairi's thoughts are interrupted by the sound of obnoxiously loud knocking.

"Kairi? Hello? You've been in the change room for like half an hour. Either you're a complete narcissist and have been staring at yourself this whole time or ninjas have fallen from the ceiling and kidnapped you. In any case, Xion's ready to kick the door down in five."

Kairi sighs. As Selphie, one of her closest girlfriends, initiates the countdown, Kairi swings the door open just when she reaches two. She is welcomed back to reality (otherwise known as a boutique to those who are sane and aren't dealing with the apocalypse) with the sound of soft gasps and applause. Outside, her girlfriends Selphie, Olette, and Xion continue to admire her dress selection while holding numerous dresses of their own.

"That's the one," Olette decides. "There's no mistaking it. That's _the one_."

Kairi, who had barely even acknowledged the dress inside the changing room due to her troubles within, decides to turn to the full-length mirror in the circular-shaped changing area to assess the dress. It was lavender in colour, strapless, sparkly by default, and short with a flowing skirt, much to her liking. She was the type who rather enjoyed being able to move, unlike the full-length mermaid dresses in Olette's hand that restricted any sort of leg movement.

The back was open, leaving a generous (but not _too_ generous) amount of her skin exposed, the sweetheart bodice accented with sparkling rhinestones that cascaded like a trail of raindrops past her waistline, a thin silver belt defined her curves, and silver heels adorned her feet. She has to admit it's quite nice, but for good measure, she also checks the price tag.

Her eyes widen.

"Remind me again why I have to spend so much munny for one night," Kairi pleads. "It's not like I'm even trying to look nice for anyone. I don't even have a date to this shindig."

"Nonsense, Kairi," Xion says while rummaging through a stack of midnight blue dresses. "It's like they said in _She's the Man_. You don't need a man to wear a beautiful dress."

"Plus if you look like shit it'll reflect badly on you in the yearbook photos," Selphie reminds bluntly. The girls, sans Kairi, simultaneously give her a look. "What? I'm just keeping it real."

"And if I do recall correctly, you were the one who said that you didn't want a cheesy promposal," Olette reminds. Selphie and Xion back up her argument with firm nods.

"Only because it puts the girl in a position that forces her to say yes," Kairi argues. "Are you really going to say no to a guy in front of a crowd? Not likely."

"But it's the thought and the effort that counts," Xion presses.

Kairi rolls her eyes as she plops herself down on the damask patterned seat. "What's the big deal about prom anyway? Sure, it's our last high school dance, but if you really think about it, it's nothing more than a fancy version of the parties people throw when their parents are out of town with terrible and undoubtedly spiked punch, sweaty, grinding bodies galore, and music so loud that you can't even have a decent conversation with anyone.

Moreover, when the DJ finally decides to play that one overplayed Ed Sheeran song, girls like me are doomed to sit at a table alone with said nasty ass punch while her friends slow dance with their dates who are probably thinking of ways to get laid at the after party. And what's up with that Ed Sheeran song anyways? What happens after seventy? Do you just not love the girl anymore? Like, what's the point in that?"

The room goes silent until Selphie breaks it with a low whistle.

"Well," she sings, "someone must have forgotten to add some sugar into her coffee this morning because someone is _bitter_."

"Preach," Xion says while one-handedly praising the roof.

"Yeah," Olette agrees. "Why so edgy Kairi? You usually love parties."

"I'm not bitter," Kairi says defensively. "I just, I…" she stammers. She then begins to play with the end strands of her claret hair. "I'm just a little confused. Sora told me earlier that he wanted to take Naminé Sato to prom," she confesses.

As Kairi drifts back into the abyss of the apocalypse, the girls all take turns looking at each other as if telepathically communicating which one of them would step up and comfort their redheaded friend first. Unfortunately, no one volunteers as tribute, resulting in a clusterfuck of responses.

"But you're his best friend," Xion reminds.

"He should be taking you," Olette says.

"Yeah, that's fucked up," Selphie admits.

Kairi rests her chin on the palm of her hand and sighs heavily. "Yeah, tell me about it."

* * *

 **PHASE 01: THE SCOUT**

* * *

 **DAY 1, 4:12 PM**

Later that afternoon finds Kairi with the two most important men in her life (minus her father, of course). She, Sora, and the very attractive and very intelligent Riku Kenbishi, the third pea in their pod, enjoy a refreshing dip in the pool of Sora's backyard. While the boys entertain themselves with a floating beer pong table (more accurately paopu soda pong), Kairi sits back on an inflatable lounge chair, reading a book for English class.

"So I asked Xion to prom," Riku announces while successfully bouncing the miniature ball into one of Sora's cups. "She said yes."

Kairi nearly drops her book in annoyance. Couldn't she go through one conversation without hearing the word "prom" for once? She thought she'd have more luck avoiding the topic with her guy friends, but that didn't seem to be the case. To mask her disappointment, she buries herself in her book.

"Yeah?" Sora asks while emptying the contents of one of his cups. "Congratulations man. How'd you do it?"

"Sent her bouquet of chocolate dipped strawberries in fourth period," Riku answers.

"Are you trying to get her as a date or give her diabetes?" Sora jokes. He misses one of Riku's cups by a long shot.

"You're one to talk," Riku counters. "And despite its cliché delivery, it got me a date. I don't see you being able to say the same thing." Sora raises his hands in surrender.

"You got me there," the brunet admits. "But I do have someone in mind."

Behind her paperback copy of _Fifth Business_ , Kairi's ears perk upward at their conversation. The expression on Riku's face shows similar interest.

"Really?" he asks. "Well whoever it is, you better get on that asap. The market's closing down fast my friend. Who's the unlucky girl, anyway?"

"Naminé Sato," Kairi silently mimics the same time the words escape Sora's mouth.

Riku lets out a low whistle. "Nice choice. She's hot."

Kairi's grip on her book tightens as she resists the urge to go on a shallow rant.

"Right? And by some miracle, she's still available," Sora informs.

"Then what are you waiting for? Hop on that," Riku advises. "I'm sure tons of guys have her targeted. Did you see her on civvies day? That little white dress was _on point_."

Before Kairi can gag, Riku stretches and excuses himself to use the washroom whilst mumbling something about eating the cafeteria's mystery meat for lunch. Sora's dog Pluto follows suit.

"Wow, you must really be into that book," Sora comments when Riku is out of sight and earshot. Even when he walks over to the edge of the chair, she still refuses to direct her attention to anything but _Fifth Business_ —a gesture she is proud of, since Sora was standing before her in all his wet and shirtless glory.

"You're not bothered about prom, are you?" he then asks.

Slowly but surely, Kairi then lowers her book and her sunglasses with the fakest of smiles on her face. "Of course not. Why would I be?"

"Because you've barely said a word the entire time we've been here," Sora points out.

To prove to her best friend that she bore no ill will towards prom, Kairi shuts her book and sets it down beside her. "Sora, I have absolutely nothing against prom." It wasn't a total lie. She just had a slight issue with whom he wanted to take to prom.

"Are you sure?" he asks with suspicion.

"Sora, I'm a big girl," Kairi reminds, although she has trouble entirely believing the words that come out of her mouth. "I'm pretty sure I can handle a little high school dance."

"Okay good, because now that Riku's gone, I wanted to ask you something," Sora says while scratching the back of his head, and if Kairi hadn't spent years encountering that gesture, she never would have known that it was something he did when he was extremely nervous.

"Kairi," he starts softly. When he takes one of her hands into both of his, Kairi's heart suddenly drops to her stomach. Had Sora suddenly changed his mind in the span of mere minutes? Was the world going to return to its proper state of equilibrium? If that was the case, she should pretend to read books more often. This gesture was, if anything, a hint of light, a spark of hope.

"Yes," she finds herself whispering out loud.

"Wait, what?" Sora asks as he releases her hand. At this, the fountains and Disney music going off in Kairi's mind come to an abrupt end.

"Wh-what?" the redhead stammers in embarrassment. "What were you going to ask?"

"I was going to ask you to be my wingwoman," he says. "You know, like a wingman, but a girl."

Its all Kairi can do not to let her jaw drop to the floor. First Sora had the nerve _not_ to ask his own best friend to prom, and now he wanted her help to get the other girl? If the girls thought the former was fucked up, the latter was even more so.

"So did you pop the question?" their mutual silver-haired friend asks when he slips back into the pool. When Sora nods proudly, Kairi finds herself frowning. They had planned this.

"Why can't Riku do it?" Kairi whines while pointing at said subject. "He's much more experienced than I am at this wingman business, and he's actually a guy."

"But I already asked Xion," Riku reminds. "You can't have a taken man manipulate the target."

"She'll immediately know something's up," Sora finishes.

Kairi's shoulders slump. "Sora, I don't know…"

"Kairi, please," Sora pleads, his eyes twinkling. Kairi nearly crumbles beneath his puppy dog gaze.

"Don't even try that," she warns.

"Try what?" Sora asks, feigning innocence.

" _That_ ," Kairi specifies. "That puppy dog thing. I _used_ to like it. Note the past tense."

Sora's cute façade immediately collapses at the presence of Kairi's authoritatively crossed arms.

"Fine. Anything it takes, your majesty," Sora offers with a bow.

Kairi pretends to tap her chin in thought. "Well… my services don't come cheap, Mr. Akiyama."

Riku shakes his head with a grin as he takes the vacant spot beside Kairi, effectively sandwiching her in between him and Sora.

"Wow," Sora says. "So my best friend is a gold digger. All right then. How many jars of Nutella?"

"Five," Kairi answers swiftly.

"Sounds doable," Sora replies. "You've got yourself a deal."

"It's nice doing business with you, Mr. Akiyama," Kairi says. Who was she to deny her best friend's happiness? She then offers her hand for a shake, but she'd be lying if she didn't feel even the slightest tingle down her spine at the feeling of his warm, tanned hand against her own. She immediately pulls away when such thoughts are brought to the surface. "So, uh, what exactly are the steps to be a successful, er, wingwoman?"

After Sora hops onto the second inflatable lounge chair available, Riku dramatically spins him around 180 degrees for effect. Sora then faces Kairi with his hands clasped together in a mischievous fashion.

"I'm glad you asked. To be a successful wingwoman, you'll have to follow through with three stages," Sora starts.

"The first is phase one, where you have to be the scout," Riku informs. "The second technically has two parts, but they're both very crucial. The first half focuses on you becoming the inside woman."

"Phase two-point-five, respectfully, is the icebreaker phase, where you introduce me," Sora says. "In phase three, you leave everything to me. Are you writing this down somewhere?"

"Yes sir," Kairi answers as she jots his words down in her phone. She had no clue that the wingman business was so… official. "First phase: the scout."

"Yes, the scout. This is the stage where you creep the target, otherwise known as Naminé, on Facebook to ensure that she's not a total psycho," Sora explains. In the background, Riku's cellphone vibrates.

"Be sure to also look for conversational topics cause you'll have to approach her in the second phase," Riku advises after getting out of the pool. "Also watch out for things she and Sora have in common. You'll want to bring those up."

Kairi snorts. "Sure, but I highly doubt he and Naminé will share plenty of common interests. Like really now, does Naminé look like a bigger comic book dork than Sora?"

"Hey!" Sora yells, taking offense. "They're like really well drawn frozen action movies, okay?"

Riku chuckles while reading the text on his phone. "Anyways, that was the birth giver. She wants me to pick up some groceries before dinner pronto, so I'll catch you guys later?"

"Later," Kairi responds.

"Make sure to tell your mom I said hi!" Sora exclaims when Riku is already halfway towards the back door. "And that I had a great time with her last night!" He narrowly dodges the pool noodle thrown in his direction.

Sora shuts the door and, after changing into dry clothes and giving a brief but concise explanation of the following phases, Kairi and Sora sit shoulder-to-shoulder on Sora's living room couch with his laptop in between them.

"So you have Naminé on Facebook, right?" Sora asks as he pushes the creeping device towards her.

Kairi thinks for a moment and briefly recalls adding her as a friend that one time they shared that one class together in sophomore year. She types in Naminé's name on the search bar and all her juicy information for creeping pleasure displays itself.

"I'm in," Kairi answers as if she had hacked into some top-secret database.

"What do we got?" Sora asks.

"Well, apart from the obvious, her birthday is on March twelfth, she used to live in Twilight Town, and she teaches art classes part time," Kairi starts as she scrolls through Naminé's profile. "Wow, lookie here. She also likes comic books, volunteers to paint props for the school's musical backdrops, has a puppy named Picasso, and she spent her March Break in Atlantica."

"Ooh, scroll back up to the bikini pics," Sora requests jokingly. Kairi forcefully hits her shoulder against his and both of them simultaneously look at the other from the corner of their eyes and giggle.

Kairi inwardly sighs. It was no natural, being so close to Sora. And the way he'd looked at her just then? Effortless. Perhaps that's why it stung when he told her that they'd have to be apart for such a memorable occasion. They were the best of friends.

Sora had taken other girls to school dances, but this was prom, and regardless of the cheesy theme ( _A Night in the Clouds_ , like really now?), terrible punch, and sweaty bodies, it was the one that would stick with her the most. It was the last time she was going to be surrounded by her friends before they packed up and flew to chase their destinies. Sure, they could visit each other every now and then, but on the final night, she wanted to remember having fun with said friends and being by Sora's side, and as selfish as it sounded, she didn't want Naminé in the picture. Literally.

But no. She couldn't— _wouldn't_ —let this bother her. At the rate she was thinking, she might _feel_ something for him, and that was even worse. Life wasn't like the movies, and she refused to succumb to such a cliché and overdone plot.

"So what's the verdict?" Sora asks after a few moments of silence. Kairi snaps out of her reverie and realizes that she's done about a page worth of half-assed research in the last twenty minutes.

"I think she's the furthest thing from a psycho," Kairi concludes. "March twelve makes her a Pisces, whom of which are imaginative, devoted, and compassionate. The fact that she has a dog named Picasso, likes comic books, paints backdrops, and teaches art classes obviously means she's passionate about what she does, and since she's travelled all the way to Atlantica, I think she's fairly adventurous."

 _And what man wouldn't want an adventurous side in his woman_ , Kairi bitterly recalls from her change room debacle. She inwardly sighs. She couldn't help that one.

"So am I in the clear? No previous employments as a seal clubber or chainsaw murderer?" Sora asks for further confirmation. Kairi nods, but the gesture is executed with obvious distaste.

Sora claps his hands together and rubs them together with a mischievous grin on his face. "All right then. It's time."

 _For what?_ Kairi thinks. To consume two out of five Nutella jars Sora so generously promised in one sitting?

"Phase two," Sora answers excitedly, and Kairi groans.

It was time to get a spoon.

 **tbc**

* * *

 **Fun fact:** Initially, I too also failed to see the importance of prom in my senior year.

 **A/N:** Surprise, surprise! Kyorii's had something up her sleeve. I know prom season has passed, but what can I say? It's nice to get back into the high school scene despite finishing my second year of university. I've had this idea for a long time now, but it's only now that I finally got around to making it a thing. You may also see some familiar paragraphs from my other stories swimming around here somewhere. They originally came from here.

I'm really using this story to get back into my writing groove since I've been really rusty lately. The concise style that scriptwriting demands has really taken its toll on my original style and it has yet to return to me completely, so I'm hoping that with some practice, it'll find me again.

I hope you enjoyed the first installment of _The Wingwoman_! Please kindly leave a review to tell me your thoughts and/or feels, I apologize for any grammar errors I may have missed, and I'll see you all in the next chapter!

 **xoKyorii**  
 **  
PS.** To those of you who know and are concerned that I have plenty of incomplete works, don't worry if you think I'll leave you hanging with this one. It may cause a TW delay, but three out of four chapters are already complete and will be posted throughout the next two weeks or so.


	2. Phase 02: The Inside Woman

**Disclaimer:** The author does not own _Spider Man_.

* * *

 **DAY 2, 1:09 PM**

Kairi nervously clutches a small stack of comic books to her chest as she not-so-discreetly hides behind a locker at the end of the hallway. She pokes her head out every now and then to spy on the door of room 312, waiting for a certain blonde-haired target to walk out.

As she mentally and emotionally prepares herself for phase two of being Sora's amateur wingwoman, she recalls the conversation they had highlighting her duties the day prior in Sora's living room.

" _The first half of phase two takes about a week or so to complete, and this depends on two factors: your likability, and the target's likability. The faster you befriend the target, the faster this phase will pass. Get to know her more, have multiple conversations with her using the knowledge you've obtained through Facebook, and mention my name every now and then to let her know that we share similar interests. Long story short: you have to become her gay best friend. Or, er, in this case, her lesbian lover, sort of."_

" _You're not going to make me test her kissing skills now, are you?" she'd asked fearfully._

" _Well I mean I'm not one to protest. That would be quite the show."_

" _Sora."_

" _Okay, okay, back on track. Do you have any classes with Naminé?"_

" _No, unfortunately, but she has Calculus with Olette third period."_

" _Then it looks like you have somewhere to start."_

The bell establishing the end of third period rings, and a sea of chitchatting teenagers fills the once empty hallway. Kairi keeps her eyes on room 312, but there is still no sign of Naminé. Kairi checks her watch for good measure. Class ended two minutes ago, and if Naminé was as eager as Kairi to get out of class, she would've been out within the first five seconds.

 _So where the hell is she?_ Kairi asks herself. Olette confirmed via text that she was definitely in class, but… if the target was a no show, did that mean Kairi could abort the mission? She feels relief at the thought, but the feeling is short lived. No more than a millisecond later, the tip of a messy platinum-blonde bun flashes before her eyes.

Kairi adjusts the strap on her shoulder bag and tightens her grip on the books. Go time.

* * *

 **PHASE 02: THE INSIDE WOMAN**

* * *

"Hey, Kairi!" a familiar voice hollers as she's halfway to Naminé.

"Not now, Selphie," Kairi mutters as she continues her pursuit towards the target. "I'm a little busy with something."

Selphie's shoulders noticeably slump upon hearing this. "You're not actually helping Sora score another girl are you? You sounded pretty pissed about it on the phone last night, and believe me honey, I was ticked off just _hearing_ it."

"I appreciate your concern, Selph, but I'll be fine," Kairi assures whilst dodging a blitzball that flies just above her head. "I know what I'm getting myself into, and I can't possibly leave one of my best friends hanging when I know I can help."

"You know, you're too nice for your own good Kairi," Selphie reprimands while picking at her freshly manicured nails.

"Is that supposed to be a bad thing?" the redhead asks. She looks ahead. Naminé stops at her locker to return some books.

"It can be," Selphie warns. "It leaves no room for you to care about your own feelings."

Kairi nearly stops but decides against it. "What's that supposed to mean? It sounds as if you're implying that being Sora's wingwoman bothers me."

"Because it _is_ bothering you," Selphie clarifies. "Don't you get it? You wouldn't do something like this for a guy unless you liked them."

This time Kairi stops for a well-deserved laugh. "That makes no sense. If I liked him, which I definitely _don't_ because what I feel for Sora is strictly platonic, why would I be trying to get him with another girl?"

"Because you're Kairi and you're incredibly stubborn and put everyone else's feelings before yours," Selphie explains.

"Okay Selphie, I think you've had a little too much caffeine for today," Kairi decides. "Now I gotta go, so why don't you go to class like a good little girl and let me handle this? I'll catch you later."

"Fine, but just remember that I have a chocolate fountain in my locker!" Selphie reminds.

Kairi rolls her eyes and proceeds with her mission. She discreetly passes Naminé, who is just finishing up at her locker, and waits for her at the corner of the hallway. She peeks around the corner a few times, effectively earning herself a few strange looks, but when the time comes, Kairi resets herself and remembers the situation at hand.

Just as Naminé turns the corner, Kairi "accidentally" bumps into her, causing the comic books in her hand to drop in a pool that surrounds them both.

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry," Naminé says in her annoyingly sweet voice. She immediately offers to help Kairi pick the books off the ground—a kind gesture that immediately makes Kairi's blood boil. Ever the angel, Naminé Sato.

Ten seconds into their encounter, Kairi decides that she does not like looking at Naminé Sato. Just when the target kneels to help pick the books off the floor, her messy bun comes undone, causing her perfectly healthy and wavy blonde hair to cascade past her shoulder like a luscious waterfall. It takes a moment for Kairi's brain to register that yes, that seriously happened, and yes, if she were a guy, she'd probably be hard by now.

"Wow, this is quite an impressive collection of comic books that you have, Kairi," Naminé compliments. When she hands over half the stack to Kairi, the redhead accepts it with a forced smile.

Now that she got a good look at Little Miss Perfect's face, she notices that Naminé has the smooth, perfect glowing skin of a porcelain doll and a naturally pretty face. She rarely had any makeup on, save perhaps a hint of mascara, but that was about it. Kairi wasn't one to cake her face with makeup much, but it certainly took more than a little wand dipped in black ink to bring her to that level of gorgeous.

And although Naminé's body wasn't nearly as toned as Kairi's who had been swimming and playing volleyball for years, she had a petite, curvy figure that was brought out well by their simple white and baby blue uniform. While Namine's button up was neatly folded past her elbows, Kairi's were barbarically pushed up to her shoulders. No wonder Sora practically saw her as a dude.

"Thanks," Kairi says through gritted teeth. The following statement comes out rehearsed and mechanical sounding. "I'm actually borrowing them from my best friend, Sora Akiyama." Letting his name escape her mouth was like parting with a French fry during her lunch break.

"Really?" The target genuinely sounds surprised. "I should've known. He seems like a really fun guy, and comic books are great. They're like really well drawn frozen action movies."

Kairi nearly drops the stack again. Sora had shared those exact views yesterday afternoon. Perhaps they were more compatible than she expected, and the thought makes her want to pay Selphie's chocolate fountain a visit.

"If you haven't already gotten to it, you should give Spider Man a try," Naminé suggests as she points at the book at the top of the stack.

Suddenly, Kairi feels as if they're Mary Jane Watson and Gwen Stacy, vying for the attention of a very messy haired Peter Parker, which really sucked because she very much preferred Gwen Stacy in the movie. The redhead holds back a sigh. Things really weren't looking good in her favour.

"Well, I better get to class," Naminé says when Kairi awkwardly fails to respond.

"Naminé, wait!" Kairi pleads when she realizes that the target is halfway down the empty hallway. She jogs over to her with the books still in hand. "We should hang out sometime," she blurts out, and Naminé looks about as surprised as she does.

"Um," Naminé starts, her voice shy and quiet. "I hope you don't take this the wrong way, but why?"

"W-well, I think you're pretty cool," Kairi answers lamely. She suddenly feels a little guilty lying to such a sweet and innocent student, even if it was for the supposed greater good.

"And you're a really great artist," Kairi continues. "I admire what you do, and besides, school's coming to an end and I thought it would be a shame if I didn't take the chance to get to know you." There. At least that part wasn't a total lie.

"Really? That's very flattering to hear coming from someone like you," the artist says while tucking a few strands of hair behind her ear.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Kairi asks, somewhat offended.

"N-no, please don't take that the wrong way. It was meant to be a compliment," Naminé assures with tinted cheeks. Kairi almost wants to knock the blush right off her face. No wonder Riku and Sora thought she was cute. "I just don't get a lot of invitations to hang out with popular people."

 _Popular?_ Kairi thinks. She admitted to having a larger than average circle of friends, but she hardly considered herself popular. Perhaps her participation and rank as female swimming and volleyball captain gave Naminé such an impression, and for as long as she could remember, she always saw Naminé hanging around fellow art students like Hayner, Pence, and Olette.

"If you're shy because you think I'm popular, you don't need to worry about that at all," Kairi assures while hugging her arm. "I'm a lot dorkier than I look."

At this, Naminé sees herself within Kairi's withdrawn posture, and smiles.

"You know what, Kairi? You're all right. I'd love to hang out with you."

* * *

"So how did the big first encounter go?" Sora questions as he and Kairi line up in the school foyer to purchase their prom tickets.

"Pretty well," Kairi answers.

"Really?" Sora asks, wide-eyed while moving up in the rather long line up. "I have to admit I'm a little shocked that you didn't pussy out. I owe Riku a sea-salt ice cream bar now."

Kairi turns to shove her backpack against his arm. She is rewarded with a pained yelp.

"Don't act so surprised," Kairi snaps. "I'm like the queen of suave, and you, my friend, are so in. Not only did I get her to think you were cool, but I got her to agree to hang out with me this Friday."

"Seriously?" Sora asks excitedly—a little _too_ excitedly Kairi may add. He manages to capture the attention of the entire lineup, and even more so when he effortlessly picks her up and spins her around.

"Sora!" Kairi exclaims, pleading for him to put her down amidst a few cheers and whistles. The instant her feet touch the ground, Sora's forehead brushes against hers ever so slightly, and the only thing that goes through her head is _if only_ , which is inevitably followed by _don't even, Kairi_.

"You are so cool, Kai," Sora compliments. He offers her a final squeeze as a sign of gratitude.

Kairi haughtily places her hands on her hips as they reach the front of the line. "Are you implying that I wasn't cool before?"

"Oh, you know what I mean," Sora says as he drops two bills worth a hundred munny each on the table. Enough for two tickets.

Kairi lets out a low whistle. "Wow. You must be really confident that Naminé will say yes."

"Oh, this isn't for her," Sora says as the student volunteer exchanges his cash for two tickets to _A Night in the Clouds_. He presents one to Kairi with a smile.

"Wh… Sora…" Kairi whispers as Sora throws an arm over her shoulders and leads her out of the lineup.

"Consider it as a thank you for being my wingwoman," Sora insists as he forces the ticket into her hand, because if anyone was familiar with her stubborn nature, it was him.

"But the mission isn't even done yet," Kairi complains. "I could still royally fuck things up."

"You won't," Sora assures with a his signature grin that makes Kairi feel truly believed in. "I know you won't."

When Kairi fails to think of a proper response amidst her reddening cheeks, she decides to change the subject instead. "How'd you even get all this munny anyway? I, uh… thought you wasted your last paycheck on a Captain America shield."

"Hey, it wasn't a waste!" Sora argues. "You never know when it can come in handy."

"From what? Riku's nerf bullets?" Kairi teases.

"For the record, that shit hurts when it hits you square in the eye, and that's not what we're talking about," Sora reminds. "If you must know where I got this cash, I took a few dick pics and sent them to a few people for a very generous amount."

Kairi slaps Sora's arm as he lets out a laugh.

"All right, you got me," Sora confesses while making their way towards Kairi's locker. "Let's just say that I've been saving up for this, okay?"

* * *

 **DAY 4, 1:09PM**

On Thursday, Kairi turns the corner of the hallway with her lips pursed in thought. She sighs as she recalls the events of Tuesday afternoon.

" _Let's just say that I've been saving up for this, okay?"_ Sora had said.

What did Sora mean by that? That he'd been saving up money for her to agree to be his wingwoman? Did he really think she needed to be bought? Was the foundation of their friendship really built on monetary benefits?

So many questions, and yet he'd only said seven words.

"Hey, Kairi," a nervous but all too familiar voice greets.

Kairi keeps her sights set on the prize but offers a short glance towards the person that had just said her name. It was Tidus: senior and varsity captain of the blitzball team, otherwise known as the finest piece of eye candy to walk Destiny High.

"Hey Tidus," Kairi greets, unfazed by his status. Her ears tune in and listen to his words every five seconds or so, making out the words _maybe_ and _busy_ and _prom_ and _me_ , but her mind is worlds away.

 _Why did the situation have to be so complicated?_ she asks herself. Had Sora just asked her to prom like he should have, she wouldn't be overthinking such monetary actions.

Her thoughts are cut short when she catches Naminé finishing up at her locker.

"Hey Tidus," she says, cutting him of mid-sentence. "Sorry, but I'm actually kind of busy right now. Mind if I take a rain check on this conversation?"

"O-oh," Tidus stammers, obviously hurt. "All right. Catch you later, Kairi."

"Later," Kairi says—more like mumbles—before rushing over to Naminé. "Hey Nams," she greets. "About our after school hangout tomorrow… you still good?"

"Oh, right," Naminé says as she shuts her locker. "At the diner, right?" Kairi nods. "Yeah, I'll be there."

"Great!" Kairi exclaims. Time to subtly ease in some common interests now. "So I gotta go, uh… walk Sora's dog Pluto now. He has a dog, you know… named Pluto…"

 _Smooth, Kairi. Smooth,_ Kairi mentally berates.

"Oh really now?" Naminé asks.

"If I'm not mistaken, you have a dog too, don't you?" Kairi asks.

"Yeah," Naminé answers. "An apricot maltipoo named Picasso."

"What a cute name," Kairi compliments. Then, subtly, "You know, we should walk Pluto and Picasso together sometime. Pluto is super friendly, and I'm sure Sora would love for you to tag along."

"Really? I wouldn't want to intrude," Naminé says bashfully.

"You wouldn't be," Kairi assures. "The more the merrier. Sora would love it if you could join us sometime."

 _He would love it a lot,_ Kairi thinks bitterly.

Naminé taps her chin in thought. "Hmm. All right. That sounds good. I'm sure Pico wouldn't mind more playmates."

"Great," Kairi says through gritted teeth. Either Naminé was completely oblivious to her terrible persuading skills, or Kairi herself was getting way too good at this wingwoman business.

* * *

 **DAY 5, 3:15PM**

After school the following day, Kairi and Naminé sit side by side at the bar of _The Melodious Nocturne_ : a music-themed diner at the heart of the Main Island. Halfway into their chocolate milkshakes, Naminé excuses herself to use the ladies' room, leaving Kairi alone with Riku who is in the middle of squirting chocolate syrup on yet another milkshake in a zigzag fashion for another customer.

"So I heard you rejected Tidus' promposal," Riku says as he hands the customer their order. "It's all over the school."

Kairi looks absolutely mortified. "He promposed?" She recalled having a half-assed conversation with him, but her brain didn't seem to process the topic. "I didn't even notice."

"Kairi, the guy had a bouquet of roses and violin players behind him," Riku informs.

Kairi inhales sharply. "Crap. I need to apologize to him at the senior lock in. Am I like the school bitch now?"

"Kind of, yeah," Riku admits. "I think your feelings for Sora have made you a little oblivious to everything around you. Just a little. And by a little I mean a lot."

Kairi groans. "Not you too. You sound just like Selphie, you know. Can we please add a wider variety of characters to this cheesy situation?"

Riku slams a hand down on the counter, capturing the attention of a few customers within the restaurant. "Okay, first of all, I am nothing like Selphie. Do you see any split ends on this?" Riku then presents his ponytail to Kairi with pride. "And second, she merely _guessed_ that you like Sora. I _know_."

"You're the one who talked me into being his wingwoman!" Kairi argues.

"I didn't think you'd actually say yes," Riku admits. "This is far too selfless, even for you."

And because Kairi is far too lazy to protest, she changes the subject.

"So did you manage to get the keys to the school for the secret senior lock in?" Kairi asks. "Everyone's counting on your so-called charms."

After shaking his head with a chuckle, Riku nods. "Yeah, I got it. That new lady janitor couldn't resist me."

"Awesome," Kairi gushes. "Are you and Sora still partners for beer pong and the fire extinguisher wheelie race?"

"We are for beer pong," Riku answers while wiping a freshly washed glass dry. "We've been training all semester. As for the wheelie race, Xion's agreed to be my partner."

"But who's going to be Sora's partner now?" Kairi asks. "It's the biggest competition by far. He can't miss out on it."

"And he won't," Riku assures. "If you agree to be his partner."

Kairi places a hand over her heart with a flattered smile. "Aww. It would be an honor to make you eat our pressurized carbon dioxide."

Riku scoffs. "Please. Sora's fat ass would've weighed me down. Xion and I have this in the bag." From the corner of his eye, Riku then catches Naminé exiting the ladies' room. "You should invite her. Sora would appreciate it."

Kairi inwardly groans. The one night she thought she wouldn't have to spend thinking about Naminé once again involved Naminé.

"Hey. What I miss?" the artist herself asks when she reclaims her stool.

"We were just talking about the senior lock in next week," Kairi answers. "Are you going?"

"Nah," Naminé answers swiftly. Kairi mentally throws a victorious fist into the air. "Apart from classes and extracurricular activities, the idea of staying in school more than I need to doesn't really appeal to me."

"Seriously?" Riku asks. "Hasn't there ever been a teacher that you hated? This is your one opportunity to get back at them without them knowing. I, for one, am wiping all of Ms. Larxene's pens on my asshole. It's a metaphor, you now, for how she always acts like she has a stick up her ass."

Naminé giggles. "How poetic. And as tempting as that sounds, it's still a no go for me. Olette and I are going prom shopping that night and are having a little sleepover of our own."

The instant the 'P' word is dropped, Kairi's heart does the same.

"Oh, prom?" Riku says when Kairi proves to be unresponsive. "You're going to prom?"

"Yeah," Naminé answers timidly, dreamily. "I'm one of those suckers."

"Well this sounds an awful lot like girl talk," Riku says as an obvious way to bail. Kairi sends him a look that says _don't you dare_. "I…" Riku starts. "I'm going to leave you two be! Enjoy!"

"Asshole," Kairi mutters when Riku runs to the other side of the bar.

"What was that?" asks Naminé.

"Nothing," Kairi insists. "So, prom, huh? Are you excited?"

"I kinda am," Naminé admits. "We're in high school for four years of our lives and it's this one final dance, this one final night that'll hopefully be one of our brightest memories someday. It may sound super cliché, but maybe it's cliché for a reason, you know?"

"What do you mean?" Kairi questions.

"People always assume that cliché is bad because it's been done so many times before, but maybe, just maybe, it's because those things are worth repeating," Naminé explains.

"Huh," Kairi says, pondering the theory. Was this the universe's twisted way of getting back at her for her hate for cliché situations? By making the target so annoyingly _likable_? "That's… an interesting theory."

Naminé smiles into her straw. "Thanks. What about you? Are you excited?"

"Sort of," Kairi admits. "I've got my dress and shoes ready if that counts for anything."

"That's great," says Naminé. "Are you going with anyone? I heard Tidus Clearwater asked you."

"No, I'm not," Kairi responds. "You?"

"I'm just gonna go with my art buddies," Naminé answers.

"Really?" Kairi asks, feigning surprise. She sends Riku a look of distress, but the only thing he does is shrug and turn away—the foulest of betrayals in Kairi's eyes. "So, um, uh…" she begins to stammer. "Would you ever consider going to prom with maybe… someone like… Sora Akiyama? Like… Sora Akiyama himself?"

"Sora Akiyama," Naminé repeats. "I know he's your friend and all, but isn't he part of the blitzball team and the captain of the male swim team?"

"Yup," Kairi answers.

"He seems like a great guy, but are you sure he isn't just one of those jocks that wants to hook up with me after prom?" Naminé asks bluntly.

Kairi almost laughs. "What? No. Sora's much too awkward for that. His intentions are pure, I promise you."

"Well, I've seen him around campus and he does seem like a really great guy, but there's no way someone like that would want to go to prom with someone like me," Naminé shyly admits. Kairi's heart sinks at the lack of self-esteem displayed before her.

"Why not?" she asks. "You're great, Naminé. Seriously, I'd kill to have your art skills. You're super talented and… you shouldn't let some high school dance judge your worth," Kairi advises. "If anything, prom is the one night where it doesn't matter who's who. It's an equal playing field. It's a way of bringing us all together for one night, no matter what we did right or wrong for the past four years."

Kairi nearly places a hand over her mouth, unable to believe the words that had just escaped it. Even Riku, who had secretly been listening instead of tending to a customer's needs, looks thoroughly impressed. Had that always existed in Kairi's cold, prom-despising heart?

Naminé, on the other hand, looks both impressed and convinced.

"All right," she says. "I'll consider going with Sora."

Kairi forces a smile.

"Great."

 **tbc**

* * *

 **Fun fact:** Like Naminé, I also have an apricot maltipoo named Miso.

 **Fun question:** If you've already been to Prom, what was your theme?

 **A/N:** Hooray for chapter two! Much of Kairi's wingwoman duties were fulfilled in this chapter more than others. I only made a few minor changes, so I hope it all turned out okay in the end.

There are also a few hints towards the next chapter: the senior lock in. I didn't want this story to just be another one of those prom stories, so I added a side element of friendship, graduation, and the perils of growing up. Stay tuned!

 **Special thanks to:** KurukiXV, It's My Lucky Charm, Ken7700, Flying By Wire, Q-A the Authoress, Crimson Daydreamer, pinkchu, acidic wrath and Ayame Hikari for reviewing the last chapter! I apologize if I missed or misspelled any names!

I hope you enjoyed the second installment of _The Wingwoman_! Please kindly leave a review to share your thoughts and/or feels, I apologize for any grammar errors that I might have missed, and I'll see you all in the next chapter!

 **xoKyorii**


	3. Phase 2-5: The Icebreaker

**DAY 9, 9:27PM, Senior Lock-In**

Sora and Kairi sit side by side on the desks of a dark classroom with nothing but the light from the hallway to illuminate the room. Physically, the room is empty save a few desks, chairs, and motivational posters taped onto the wall, but mentally, the room is full of unforgettable memories.

"We had History here," Sora says. "Literally. Freshman year. First semester. Second period."

"And Functions," Kairi adds. "Junior year. Fourth period. Ms. Larxene."

Both teens shiver at the unpleasant memories.

"Yeah, she really was terrible, wasn't she?" Sora asks as he recalls the many times their teacher had thrown a white board marker at him.

"Whatever you do, don't touch her pens," Kairi reminds. If she recalled correctly, they had been up a certain someone's butthole only moments ago.

"We also had Chemistry in here," Sora reminds with a melancholic smile. "Last semester."

After a deep intake of breath at the double entendre, Kairi smiles at him. "Yeah. We did."

"I'm glad I got through these four years with you, Kai," Sora confesses. "Really. You and Riku are my strongest pillars of support, you've always been so patient, and I never would've known that a valence electron was an electron in the inner most ring if it weren't for you."

Despite the compliments, Kairi resists the urge to facepalm herself. "That's not what it is, Sora."

Sora's smile immediately turns upside down. "It isn't? Damn it. I'll get it right someday."

"You should've known what that was by sophomore year," Kairi says while flicking his nose.

"Ow," Sora says while holding his nose. "Well you know what? It's okay, 'cause I'm not specializing in the sciences anyway."

"Can we not talk about where we're headed and just focus on tonight?" Kairi pleads. "Please?"

Sora raises his hands in surrender. "All right, got it. All talk of the future is now forbidden. Any mention of the 'F' word is punishable by Riku's sweaty armpits and Chinese water torture. Tonight, we are young, and we are dumb!"

"Heck yeah," Kairi agrees while raising her hand for a high five. "Now let's go win this thing."

"Let's," Sora exclaims as his hand meets hers.

* * *

 **PHASE 2.5: THE ICEBREAKER**

* * *

Outside, the hall is packed with senior students lined up against the lockers, whispering amongst one another as Sora and Kairi exit the classroom. In the center of the hallway, two office chairs, two fire extinguishers, and a poorly hung finish line await the arrival of its competitors.

"Are you two ready?" Selphie, the flag girl of the supposed race, asks excitedly.

"Ready," Sora and Kairi answer simultaneously.

"Okay," Selphie says. She retrieves her megaphone and begins yelling into it enthusiastically. "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the final round of Destiny High's legendary fire extinguisher wheelie race!" The senior students of Destiny High offer their applause. "After two hours of vigorous racing, two teams have successfully made it to the final race of the year, both vying for the first place title. In office chair number one, we have Riku Kenbishi and Xion Kisaragi!"

Riku, who is already sitting on the office chair with Xion on his lap, waves to the applauding crowd.

"And in office chair number two, Sora Akiyama and Kairi Misaki!"

Kairi, who throws both hands into the air with a scream, is suddenly swept off her feet bridal style by her partner who also screams at the crowd with equal enthusiasm.

"The rules are the same," Selphie explains. "Both teams are to propel themselves on the office chairs using the fire extinguishers, and whichever team successfully completes one lap around the third floor and crosses the finish line first will reign victorious!" More applause.

Selphie then positions herself a few meters away from the competitors in the center of the hallway with two flags in hand. She raises her hands up high, asks if the drivers are ready, and watches as Sora and Riku mock rev their fire extinguishers. The instant Selphie lowers her flags, they're off, and chaos ensues within the crowd.

Sora and Kairi take the lead, speeding down the hallway at full speed with Riku and Xion not too far behind. With Kairi's guidance and skillful steering, they turn the corner, but Riku, who had known that Sora would impulsively start at full speed, reserves his juice and cranks the extinguisher up to full power to take both the inside and the lead.

"What's the matter, Sora? Your fat ass weighing your team down?" Riku taunts. "The fat and the furious!"

"Careful Riku! Don't go too fast or your weave might fall off!" Sora yells back.

Sora and Kairi catch up on the following corner, and in the final hallway, both boys share a look and blast forward at full speed. Sora and Kairi are the first to run out of gas. Riku and Xion lose theirs midway. Both boys secure their teammates onto the office chair and push them as they run towards the finish line.

From his peripheral vision, Riku catches Sora catching up to them, so as an act of desperation, he pushes Xion with all his might and stands in place as his partner crosses the finish line first. The crowd screams out, and Sora and Kairi cross moments later.

"It's okay," Sora mouths to Kairi, who looks somewhat disappointed. In those two small words, Kairi is reminded why she likes him so much. No matter how stupid, difficult, or painful any situation could get (this clearly fell under the 'stupid' category), he'd always be her ray of sunlight, radiating his light and optimism to keep her smiling.

Selphie and Tidus then emerge from the cheering crowd, the latter holding a large dollar store trophy.

"Whoa, whoa!" Selphie yells into her megaphone, and the crowd whispers amongst themselves. "As we all know, the rules clearly state that the first _team_ to cross the finish line will emerge victorious."

Kairi then takes Sora's hand and holds her breath. He squeezes back.

"Xion may have crossed the finish line first, but her partner was not present," Selphie explains. "So, by default… our winners are Sora and Kairi!"

The crowd goes wild, as if they'd just won the Olympics, and Sora lifts Kairi off the ground once again to emit a long and victorious battle cry. As he lowers her, their eyes meet, and instead of confetti, pieces of shredded homework rain over them at a tranquil pace. He smiles at her and she smiles back, but before Kairi can think anything of the moment, Tidus literally comes in between them.

"Congratulations," he tells them while awkwardly handing Kairi the plastic trophy.

"Thanks," Kairi says. She accepts the trophy, but when Sora excitedly snatches it from her hands, Kairi taps Tidus' shoulder as he walks away.

"Hey, Tidus," she starts. "I'm sorry I rejected your promposal. I really didn't mean to."

"It's okay," Tidus assures. "It all worked out for the best in the end. Yuna promposed to me with the glee club afterwards. It turns out that she's always had a little thing for me."

"That's great," Kairi says with a genuine smile. "She's a sweet girl. I'm happy for you."

"I'm sorry, too," Tidus apologizes.

"For what?" Kairi asks, clearly confused.

"For asking you," Tidus clarifies. "I should've known that you were going with Sora. You two are always together."

Kairi's smile immediately falls from her face. "O-oh. I'm actually… not… going with Sora."

It is Tidus' turn to look surprised. "Oh. That's a shame. You two make a really good team."

Kairi looks at Sora who looks right back while presenting their trophy to the heavens.

"I suppose we do, don't we?" Kairi whispers. And just as she's about to throw a pity party, she feels a hand on her shoulder.

"It's okay," Tidus assures. "He'll come around eventually."

"Yeah," Kairi says as she returns the gesture. "Let's hope."

* * *

In the middle of the night, every senior present for the lock in finds themselves curled up in their sleeping bags in the dark gymnasium, some quieter than others. Kairi, who has set up camp in an area by all her friends who are already knocked out, finds herself sandwiched in between Sora and Riku. Both seem to be staring at the ceiling with great interest.

"Fourteen years together," Riku starts. "And the four of them here are over."

"And here's to another forty more," Sora says. "And forty after that."

"Sora's right," Kairi decides. "This isn't the end. It's just the beginning for a new chapter in our lives."

"I don't even know if the program I picked was the right one," Sora wholeheartedly admits. "But as long as you guys are there for me, I know I'll be okay."

Riku scoffs at the cheesy confession. "For the record, when we're all in the same retirement home, I would totally win the wheelchair race."

Kairi feels Sora reach over to shove Riku.

"Dream on," he says, and when he settles back into his sleeping bag, Kairi feels him take her hand into his. Her whole body goes limp, and for a moment Kairi can't feel a thing until Sora squeezes her hand as a reminder that he wasn't going anywhere, no matter how far apart they were going to be after throwing their graduation hats into the air.

The thought makes her heart swell, and moments later, Kairi squeezes back.

* * *

 **DAY 10, 3:09PM**

Kairi languidly makes her way over to the bar of The Melodious Nocturne and plops herself down on a vacant stool with a heavy sigh.

"Please don't sing to me," she pleads when Riku makes his way over to her.

Riku chuckles. "Please. You know I never sing, not even when the manager asks. Now what's it gonna be?"

"Chocolate milkshake," she orders. "Double chocolate shot, extra whip, and keep 'em coming."

"I didn't catch you in English class today," Riku says as he gets started on her order.

Kairi sighs. "What's the point? I know my place. I _am_ fifth business. Neither hero nor villain, sidekick or fool… I'm just a plot device in his love story."

Riku doesn't bother protesting. "All right. Fair enough. Let's say you are fifth business." He then proceeds in smothering Kairi's milkshake with whipped cream. "It's not necessarily a bad thing. If you didn't miss class today due to overdramatized depression, you would've learned that they're essential to the plot," Riku explains. "The hero could never fulfill his destiny without fifth business. You may not have landed the most fabulous role, but you're the plot twist, the one with the vital information, and the hero needs you."

And when Riku tops Kairi's shake with a cherry, she hangs her head low and lets out a depressing sigh. As her honorary older brother, Riku then hops over the counter and scoops her up into his arms.

"It's not supposed to be like this," she whimpers into Riku's shirt. "I wasn't supposed to be his wingwoman. I wasn't supposed to fall for him. I refused to conform to this cheesy love story from the very beginning."

"It's okay," Riku assures. "It'll be okay. You couldn't help it."

"You were right though," Kairi admits. "I was being too nice because I liked him. You were right."

Riku smirks. "I know. But just hang in there, Kairi. The end of this is worth it. Trust me."

* * *

 **DAY 11, 2:58PM**

Kairi sits alone at a booth in The Melodious Nocturne, awaiting the arrival of both Sora and Naminé.

 _Today was the day,_ she thought with mournful sigh. A day of both beauty and destruction. Sora would finally get the girl, and their relationship would be deduced to nothing more than nods of acknowledgment in the school hallways.

" _The second part of phase two is the icebreaker,"_ she recalled Sora saying. "This is where you bring me in with a common interest. For instance: Hey Naminé, this is my best friend Sora, the awesomest person in the world. He enjoys long walks on the beach and underwater basket weaving."

She'd looked confused back then. _"But no one actually does underwater basket weaving—"_

" _It was just an example, okay?"_

Kairi chuckles at the memory, but the moment is short lived. She finds herself back in reality, eleven days later, as nothing more than a catalyst to Sora and Naminé's impending love story.

Moments later, the soon-to-be couple coincidentally arrives at the same time. When Sora takes the seat beside Kairi, Naminé takes her place across from them looking strangely calmer than usual.

Just as Kairi is about to start the introductions, Naminé speaks up.

"Did you bring the goods?" she asks Sora.

Kairi blinks twice. Had they already met beforehand, and was she seriously witnessing a drug deal before her very eyes?

 _Fuck,_ she mentally curses. She'd already seen too much. She was totally going to jail.

Sora then hands Naminé an envelope. "Two tickets for the art exhibition across town. Do you have what I asked for?"

Naminé then places a lavender-coloured corsage and boutonniere the table. Kairi raises a suspicious eyebrow. It was the same exact shade of lavender as her prom dress.

Sora nods in approval. "Thank you, Naminé. Enjoy your art exhibition."

"Thank you. It was very nice doing business with you, Sora Akiyama," Naminé responds with a respectful bow. She then faces Kairi with her annoyingly sweet smile. "Bye, Kairi."

"See you Nams," Sora says. Kairi watches the entire exchange with her jaw agape. Only six words are capable of escaping her mouth when Naminé stands up to leave.

"What the fuck is going on?"

 **tbc**

* * *

 **A/N:** I think I had way too much fun writing about that fire extinguisher race.

 **Special thanks to:** Painted With a Palette, I'mKairi, anon ovo, It's My Lucky Charm, KurukiXV, Guest, asb227, RedSeaGlassStories, Princess Variares, alwaysmile, acidicwrath, MusicalSage, Flying by Wire, Crimson Daydreamer, Ken7700, Ayame Hikari, and a Guest (whom I'm pretty sure is Q-A the Authoress lol) for reviewing the last chapter! I apologize if I missed or misspelled any names.

I hope you all enjoyed the third installment of _The Wingwoman_! Please kindly leave a review to share your thoughts and/or feels, I apologize for any grammar errors that I might have missed, and I'll see you all in the final chapter!

 **xoKyorii**


	4. Phase 03: The Plot Twist

**Disclaimer:** The author does not own Ed Sheeran's _Thinking Out Loud_ or _High School Musical 3_ (don't ask—you'll find out).

* * *

It takes Kairi a few moments to register what's really going on.

From her peripheral vision, she catches over ninety percent of the diners' customers looking in their direction. Once they catch her staring, they turn away and either whisper amongst themselves discreetly or feign innocence by whistling casually. One group in particular hides behind their menus in shame, but even a large laminated sheet of paper couldn't hide Selphie's obnoxiously volumized hair.

"You assholes," Kairi whispers in realization. "You planned this." Riku videotaping her reaction behind the bar further confirms her suspicions. "Why?" she asks, too shocked and too confused to flip the table.

"Because if I asked you out properly you would've said no," Sora reasons. "I like you more than a friend, Kairi, but if I had been the one to tell you, why would you address those feelings? Childhood friends falling for each other after all these years? The guy confessing? That's all so cliché, and you're obsessed with rejecting clichés."

Kairi crosses her arms with a frown. He's right.

"So," he continues, "after Riku told me about your little confession yesterday, I knew it was time to reveal my true motives. Prom was the perfect excuse, so I had you and a couple of people agree to be a part of this fake mission that would make _you_ jealous and expose _your_ feelings for _me_. Instead of the guy putting all the effort into the big reveal, you really did most of the work here, so you can't say its cliché. It's a reverse confessional!"

"But… but what about Naminé?" Kairi asks.

"Roxas already asked her to prom two weeks ago," Sora answers.

"And the thing she said about the comic books being like frozen action movies?"

"Wasn't a coincidence. I told her what to say," Sora admits whilst holding up a script clearly titled "The Wingwoman".

"And Tidus?"

Sora then begins to scratch the back of his head sheepishly. "Uh, yeah. That wasn't part of the plan—but hey, it totally added to the story. Any who, apologies are due. Sorry Tidus!"

From behind one of the menus, the captain of the blitzball team reveals himself with a thumbs up gesture. "No problem man!"

"So… you made me go through all of this because you… because you like me?" Kairi asks incredulously.

"Yep. All for you," Sora answers proudly. "I can't believe you didn't notice. I even paid for your prom ticket. That should've been a wailing siren that I wanted to go with you."

The diner then grows painfully quiet, eagerly waiting for Kairi's heartfelt reply, but the first thing that comes out of her mouth is:

"Fuck you."

Sora places a hand over his heart, feigning offense. "I just indirectly told you that I like you, and the first thing you're going to say is fuck you?"

"Yes!" Kairi exclaims. She then gets up from her seat to hammerfist his shoulder. "You made me do research! You basically made me stalk Naminé!"

Sora raises his hands in defense. "I did no such thing. You placed that upon yourself. You overworked yourself because face it, you like me too, and you want to go to prom with me."

"Asshole!" Kairi screams. Her hits eventually weaken, and when they do, Sora scoops her up into his arms with a chuckle, and the crowd either claps or holds back their squeals.

"I hate you," Kairi mumbles into his shoulder.

"I like you too," Sora whispers. He then presents her corsage to her with a grin. "So, Kairi Misaki, will you go to prom with me?"

Kairi makes sure to hit him one more time before responding. "This is the most messed up promposal ever."

"But you can't say it wasn't original," Sora points out. "So how about it? Me? You? Prom?"

While the spectators hold their breath, Kairi crosses her arms with a frown.

"Fine, asshole," she mumbles, and all she can hear is the sound of muffled applause and cheers when Sora pulls her to his chest and kisses her forehead.

* * *

 **PHASE 03: THE PLOT TWIST**

* * *

 **DAY 18, 6:32PM**

Prom is exactly what Kairi makes it out to be.

Corny hollow clouds hanging from the ceiling, a corny balloon arch, unbearably loud music, sweaty bodies grinding all over the dance floor, a cheesy fog machine covering said dance floor in supposed clouds, and there was Tidus, discreetly spiking the punch behind Ms. Larxene's back.

But rolling up to the venue in a limo with her friends blasting music and walking into the party hand in hand with Sora? Even Kairi had to admit it wasn't too bad. She'd come to realize during their off-tune jam session in the limo that the importance in prom wasn't just in the event itself, but the people she surrounded herself with.

"Ah, prom," Riku says. "Our last chance to be misfits, and the warm up party before a night full of fucking."

The latter earns him a smack in the head from Xion.

"Ow! I was kidding! Xion, come back!" Riku pleads as he follows his date to the buffet table.

"Ooh, I love this song!" Selphie squeals. "Irvine, let's go dance!" And when Selphie forcefully drags her date towards the dance floor, they're followed suit by Olette and her date Hayner.

"Hey Sora, Kairi!" Sora's cousin Roxas then greets. Arm in arm with the Sora look-alike is none other than Naminé Sato—the very name that would've made Kairi cringle two weeks ago, had she not been in cahoots with Sora the entire time.

"Hey Roxas," Sora greets with a fist bump. "You look lovely, Naminé."

"Thank you, Sora," the artist thanks, and while the boys entertain themselves with their boy talk, Kairi and Naminé acknowledge each other with smiles.

"You look really pretty tonight, Kairi," Naminé compliments.

"Me? Look at you," Kairi says while admiring Naminé's floor-length baby blue dress and elegant updo. "You look like a goddess."

"Oh please," Naminé pleads with a blush. She then twiddles her thumbs nervously. "So uh, about tricking you…"

"It's okay," Kairi assures with a chuckle. "You were a very good actress."

"I really wasn't acting most of the time," Naminé shamelessly admits. "I'm just awkward and shy by nature. I suppose that's what made me the perfect candidate."

"And although I tried befriending you for Sora's sake in the beginning, it really didn't end up that way," Kairi confesses. "I really enjoyed spending time with you. And for what it's worth, I really do think you're cool—and a really great artist, too."

Naminé tucks a few strands of hair behind her ear with a flattered blush.

"Thank you," she says. "I'm glad we got to know each other better this year—even if it was in the strangest of circumstances."

"Me too," Kairi says while pulling her previous target into a quick embrace. "And we should actually hang out, you know. For real next time."

"Definitely," Naminé agrees whilst accepting the hug.

"So are you two gonna like kiss now or what?" Sora and Roxas ask teasingly, supportively. The two boys narrowly dodge the centerpieces thrown in their direction.

* * *

Twenty minutes of bouncing around the dance floor later, Sora and Kairi find themselves facing each other by the dessert table, each with a red cup in hand.

"Ready?" Sora asks.

Kairi stares at the cup's contents and gulps. "R-ready."

"On three," Sora says. "One, two…"

"Three!" they both exclaim. They down the contents of the cup only to spit it out seconds later into the closest plant.

"You're right," Sora admits hoarsely. "That punch was terrible."

"Told you," Kairi says mid-cough.

"But it was still worth coming, wasn't it?" Sora asks. His hand briefly ghosts over hers before he intertwines her fingers with his. He can almost feel the heat move from Kairi's hand to her cheeks.

"Yes, Sora," Kairi assures. "Your presence is certainly worth more than liquidized sweaty gym socks."

"I'm glad you think so highly of me," Sora says while snaking his arms around her waist.

"Being ranked above stinky socks in the hierarchy of sweaty things isn't exactly something to be proud of," Kairi points out as her date firmly pulls her to him.

"Whatever," Sora whispers while inching his face closer to Kairi's. Her world slows at their proximity.

"Is my best friend really about to kiss me?" Kairi asks, eyes closed and lips pursed.

"I don't know," Sora answers with his breath against her lips. "I really want to, but I'm contemplating whether I should do it now or when my lips don't taste like gym socks."

Kairi laughs and pushes Sora's shoulders back. "Good call. Later, then."

"In that case, I'll save it for the most cliché moment possible, just for you," Sora coos.

"How sweet of you," Kairi says through gritted teeth, earning herself a laugh and a kiss on the cheek from her date.

"Ladies and gentlemen, it's time to announce the 'Most Likely' winners!" Selphie announces onstage with an envelope in hand. Sora and Kairi share a nod before linking their arms together and walking towards the crowd of people.

"During the past week, the entire student body was to vote on who they thought suited the following categories," Selphie explains. "After tallying the votes, the winners have been selected, so without further ado, let's begin! The winner of _Most Likely to be a Famous Musician_ is…" Selphie then takes her dear sweet time opening the envelope. "Yuna Akimoto!"

The crowd cheers as Yuna, star of the Glee club and Tidus' date for the evening, walks up onstage to receive her plaque.

" _Most Likely to Cure Cancer_ goes to… Olette Aoki!"

"Woo, yeah Olette! You go girl!" Sora screams as one of his and Kairi's closest friends waves to the cheering crowd with the largest smile on her face. Kairi only rolls her eyes at Sora's dorkiness and cheers as loud as she can.

" _Most Likely to be the Next Leonardo da Vinci_ goes to Naminé Sato!" Selphie exclaims. Amidst the applause, Kairi yells in approval when a very shy and surprised Naminé is escorted onto the stage by Roxas. A few more awards are announced, and it isn't until the eighth award that yet another familiar name to Kairi is announced.

" _Most Likely to be the Next Michael Phelps_ goes to none other than Kairi Misaki!" Selphie exclaims. "You go baby girl!"

Kairi looks downright shocked as all eyes fall on her with approving smiles and well-deserved applause. Weeks ago she didn't have the slightest clue that she'd even _be_ at prom, much less win an award. She then turns to Sora who gestures her to join the winners onstage with an excited grin.

Moments later, when Kairi stands alongside the rest of the winners with her plaque in hand, Selphie explains that it's time to announce the two most prestigious titles of the night.

"And now ladies and gentlemen, it's time for the coronation of your Prom King and Queen!" Selphie announces, and the crowd cheers for each candidate that makes their way onstage.

"After tallying up all the votes, your Prom King is..." Selphie then reads the contents of the slip with a knowing grin. "Riku Kenbishi!"

Riku respectfully bows and waves to his applauding audience before accepting his crown and scepter from Xion.

"And by an outstanding lead, your Prom Queen is…"

Selphie dramatically opens the envelope, fully aware that every female candidate lined up onstage hopes to be selected, but the master of ceremonies laughs to herself, knowing that they wouldn't be able to look at the yearbook and find their name under Prom Queen.

"Ladies and gentlemen, please give a round of applause for your Prom Queen of the evening: Sora Akiyama!"

The gymnasium erupts with cheers and applause when the spotlights fall on Sora's shocked expression. He sends Kairi an apologetic look when he's forced onstage.

"It's okay," she mouths in reassurance amidst her giggles.

"Your Highness, is there anything you'd like to tell your kingdom before your big dance of the evening?" Selphie asks whilst placing the crown on Sora's unbelievably spiky hair.

"I'd just like to say thank you," Sora says upon arriving center stage. "Thank you all for your kind votes and for making these past four years worth remembering for me." And because the direction Sora chooses is becoming far too emotional for his taste, he decides that he simply must add a joke at the end of his speech.

"I hope that no matter where we all choose to go, no matter whom we choose to become, that we don't forget where we came from and the time we spent growing here together," Sora continues. "Because once a wildcat, always a wildcat."

Amidst the applause, Sora successfully earns himself a few laughs from the crowd.

"Hashtag Riku and Sora 5ever!" Sora then screams into the mic before dropping it and embracing the Prom King. The volume of applause increases tenfold.

"Now ladies and gentlemen, please join the King and Queen on the dance floor for the final dance of the evening!" Selphie announces. "I hope you all had a wonderful time tonight, and we'll see you all at graduation!"

The instant Sora and Riku hit the dance floor, the overplayed Ed Sheeran song that Kairi had dreaded weeks ago comes on, and Kairi only rolls her eyes when both Sora and Riku dramatically lip sync in her direction before playfully assuming the proper waltz position. A few couples join them onstage, some merely swaying more than dancing, and Kairi stands exactly where she saw herself two weeks ago: on the sidelines by the nasty ass punch, watching her friends dance with their dates, only this time, she didn't foresee the plaque in her hand, the smile on her face, nor the corsage on her wrist given to her by her date.

"I had no idea the bromance was so real," comes the voice of Xion beside her.

Kairi crosses her arms with a chuckle. "Oh it's real. They're a package deal, those two."

"Three," Xion corrects. "You _three_."

Kairi leans back on the table and relaxes into it, knowing that Xion's right. They were three peas in a pod—inseparable since their diaper days.

"Yeah," Kairi agrees. "Three."

She then turns to Sora and Riku, who appear to be finishing up their King and Queen shenanigans on the dance floor. They turn to her simultaneously, wave, and dismiss themselves from the dance floor to join their respective dates.

"My lady," Riku greets with a bow. He then offers his hand to Xion and leads her to the dance floor.

Sora, on the other hand, removes the crown from his head and places it atop Kairi's elegant side ponytail. He is rewarded with a puzzled expression.

"You're the real queen of my evening," Sora explains.

Kairi resists the urge to laugh. "That was so lame." When she sees the pout on her date's face, she slips her hand into his and kisses his cheek. "But also really sweet."

Sora wipes his nose with a proud grin. "Would you like to dance, your highness?"

"I'd be delighted," Kairi answers with a curtsy, but just before they enter the dance floor, Kairi tosses her heels aside and leaves them under the table. Sora only shakes his head. Her discarded shoes were but a reminder as to why he'd chosen her.

Moments later, he and Kairi become one with the sea of students, molded together in a sweet embrace, swaying side to side, making the world move in slow motion. For the remaining duration of the song, the only world that existed was one of clouds and stars.

"So what happens after seventy?" Kairi asks while snuggling into Sora's chest.

Sora chuckles into Kairi's hair. "What?"

"The song. He says he'll love the girl until they're seventy," Kairi answers. "What happens after that?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Sora asks. "We're going to be racing in wheelchairs with our grandkids on our lap, and we're going to beat Riku's sorry ass to the pudding."

"In your dreams," Riku teases as he and Xion pass them on the dance floor.

"Can you _not_? We're trying to have a moment here," Sora shoos. "Be gone, you."

Riku indeed leaves, but not before making a V-shape with his fingers and sticking his tongue out in between them. He ducks before Kairi's crown can even graze his head.

"So where were we?" Kairi asks sweetly, as if she didn't just chuck a hunk of metal at their best friend.

"You were telling me about how sexy I look," Sora offers.

Kairi places her hands on the lapels of Sora's blazer and smirks. "Nice try."

"I'm not getting laid tonight, am I?" Sora asks jokingly. Kairi laughs because she knows Sora certainly isn't that kind of guy. He'd always had the purest of intentions.

"Nope," she answers bluntly, and he squeezes her hips with a chuckle in response.

"All right," he says knowingly. Then, seriously, "Hey, um… I have to tell you something."

"Is this the part where you bust out a chainsaw and murder everyone?" Kairi asks fearfully. Sora merely rolls his eyes.

"If I was a chainsaw murderer, don't you think you would've noticed seventeen years ago?"

Kairi ponders his answer for a moment and nods. "Point taken."

"Anyways," Sora continues. He bashfully looks down at their feet before mustering up the courage to face his date. "I like you. Like, more than a friend."

Kairi looks confused for a moment but smiles upon hearing his affections out loud. "Um, I know you do. I like you more than a friend too, Sora."

"I know it sounds weird that I'm telling you again and that you hate cliché and cheesy confessions, but I wanted to tell you properly," Sora explains. "I never truly got a chance to tell you, what with that reverse promposal and exams last week, but I thought you deserved to know how I really feel."

Kairi nods in appreciation, and after a deep intake of breath, Sora continues his confession.

"I like you, Kairi Misaki. Not only as my friend, but as my fellow swimming competitor, my chemistry tutor, my wheelie race partner, my player two in video games, my best friend. You've helped me grow all these years, and I just want to return the favour by being the one that always makes you smile every day in every way possible. I know this next chapter in our lives is going to be scary, and we don't know what to expect, but I will always stand by you and Riku. I hope that Riku will also be by my side, and you—not just as my best friend, but as my girlfriend."

"Girlfriend?" Kairi squeaks, inwardly liking the way the word rolls off her tongue. In the midst of basking in Sora's returned affections over the past week, labels hadn't exactly crossed her mind.

"I know you're not the damsel in distress type," Sora says. "You can take care of yourself, and you're nothing like the clichés you can't stand, but that's why I like you so much. You don't have to say yes, but there's no one like you, Kairi. Even if you do say no, I'll still keep fighting."

Kairi smiles, knowing that Sora was one to stay true to his word. His request doesn't take much thought on her part, but she taps her chin playfully to tease him nonetheless.

"I'll think about it," she says.

"Oh," says Sora, obviously hurt. "All right. I can respect that. I mean it _is_ a little fast, and—"

"Sora," Kairi calls.

"—we're going off to university, and although our campuses are super close to each other, we'd be at a bit of a distance…"

Kairi rolls her eyes. "Sora."

"I mean I could always take the bus, maybe even the subway if need be, but I'll always come down to visit you and—"

And at that moment, amidst the clouds and confetti, in the middle of the overplayed Ed Sheeran song, Kairi is glad to succumb to the cliché prom kiss under the fake cardboard stars and plants one right on Sora's lips. The kiss is clumsy at first, just as she would expect from Sora, but within moments his lips melt into hers and the kiss becomes one of memorable affection.

The moment they pull away, Kairi laughs at three things: the pink lip-gloss smudged on the edges of Sora's lips, the dumbfounded but undoubtedly happy look on his face, and the cheesiness of it all, no matter how much she'd enjoyed it.

"So, uh," Sora starts, obviously loopy from the kiss that Kairi had just initiated. "Is that a yes?"

"Yes," Kairi answers, because she knows that at the current moment he's in, Sora is only capable of comprehending a straight answer.

"Well _finally_ ," Riku says amidst a few cheers from the student body. A few feet away, he stands with his arm around Xion's waist and their friends applauding excitedly from behind. "If you weren't going to kiss before the song ended I was going to pay the DJ to loop that shit for hours until you did."

Both Sora and Kairi shake their heads, knowing that they'd have to deal with that sass for the rest of their lives, but they'd have it no other way.

Kairi then locks eyes with Naminé who mouthes the words "I told you so" with an excited smile and a thumbs up gesture. At first Kairi looks confused, wondering what the words implied, but it's only then, in Sora's arms, that she remembers the conversation that they had in The Melodious Nocturne.

 _People always assume that cliché is bad because it's been done so many times before,_ Naminé had said.

 _But maybe, just maybe,_ Kairi finishes, _it's because those things in particular are worth repeating over and over again._

 **end**

* * *

 **A/N:** And that's it for _The Wingwoman_ ladies and gentlemen! I hope you enjoyed reading this story as much as I enjoyed writing it, and I apologize for the super late update. You all know how much I hate ending stories. Ending means the fun's over… for now.

 **Special thanks to:** pichu missionary, Right Face, Bruh, Kvoth The Bloodless, Sinful Serenata, I'mKairi, It's My Lucky Charm, The Fool's Arcana, Harumaki, MusicalSage, Flying By Wire, Crimson Daydreamer, Ayame Hikari, Q-A the Authoress, acidic wrath and X-Crepuscule for reviewing the last chapter! I apologize if I missed or misspelled any names, and a very huge thank you to those who have been supporting this story since the very beginning and made it to the end.

I hope you all enjoyed the final installment of The Wingwoman! Please kindly leave a review to share your thoughts and/or feels, I apologize for any grammar errors I may have overlooked, and I'll hopefully see you all in another story when I can.

 **PS.** I wish everyone who has returned to school a good semester, and good luck on your exams! If you aren't currently in school, I wish you the best with your endeavors.


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